The present invention relates to an electrosurgical tool which is adapted to simultaneously cut, fuse, and cauterize the cut tissue so as to improve hemostasis.
Surgical procedures often require incisions to be made in internal organs, such as the intestine, causing profuse bleeding at the site of the incision. Prompt control or elimination of the bleeding is of paramount importance to the success and safety of the procedure.
Currently known surgical cutting devices utilize different techniques to control or eliminate bleeding. One known device is the Proximate Linear Cutter available from the Ethicon, Inc. of Somerville, N.J. This device is specifically adapted to make an incision in tissue or an organ such as the intestine. The device engages a portion of the tissue or organ between two tyne-like members. To effect cutting, a blade mounted on one of the tynes travels along a predetermined path, thereby making a linear incision through the tissue or organ. Simultaneously, surgical staples are deployed by the cutting device on either side of the incision, resulting in the separation of the organ into two segments, each of which is sealed adjacent to the incision by surgical staples. Despite the use of surgical staples and the precise cutting of the tissue, bleeding is not entirely eliminated and separate cauterization procedures must often be utilized to control or stop bleeding.
Surgical devices also are known which utilize electrical current in the form of radio frequency (RF) energy to cauterize tissue and to prevent or control bleeding. U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,734 discloses a surgical scalpel modified to include an electrode. This scalpel has the ability to cut tissue and, when properly positioned, to cauterize tissue following a cutting procedure. Such a surgical tool is useful but does not simultaneously cut and cauterize tissue. The separate cauterization procedure which must be utilized is relatively time consuming and may result in unnecessary bleeding. Moreover, such a scalpel is not well suited to many surgical procedures such as the transection of the intestine.
Accordingly, there is a need for a surgical tool which conveniently and safely enables precise incisions to be made in internal organs, and which simultaneously is able to eliminate essentially all bleeding which results from the incision.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a surgical tool which has improved cutting capability and which decreases some of the risk associated with surgery by minimizing the amount of bleeding resulting from incisions. Another object is to provide a surgical tool which is adapted to simultaneously cut tissue and to cauterize the cut tissue. A further object is to provide an electrosurgical tool which is specifically adapted to make linear incisions in internal organs and, simultaneously, to fuse the tissue adjacent to the incision in order to eliminate any associated bleeding. It is also an object of the invention to provide such a surgical device that does not require a sharpened surgical blade to sever tissue. Other objects of the invention will be apparent upon reading the disclosure which follows.